U.S and Canada Vocab

Electoral College

A body of electors chosen by the voters in each state to elect the President and Vice President of the United States

Megalopolis

A clustered network of cities with a population of about 10 million or more; one auch extensive metropolitan area exists in the Northeastern U.S.

Great Basin

A desert region of the Western United States comprising of Nevada and parts of Utah, California, Idaho, Wyoming, and Oregon

Interstate Highway system

A federally funded American highway system resulting from the Highway revenue act of 1956

Republic

A government in which citizens elect representatives to rule on their behalf; representatives' power is limited by law

Representative Democracy

A government in which the people rule through elected representatives; representatives' power is limited by the will of the people

Great Lakes

A group of 5 fresh water lakes of central North America between the United States and Canada: the lakes are Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior

Prime Minister

A head of government; the majority party leader in Parliament

Piedmont

A hilly region of the eastern United States between the Appalachians and the Coastal Plains

St. Lawrence River

A large river that connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean; forms part of the international boundary between Ontario and New York

Rocky Mountains

A major mountain system of the United States and Canada, extending 3,000 miles from Alaska south to New Mexico

Canadian Shield

A northern part of the interior lowlands that is a rocky, flat region covering nearly two million square miles and encircling the Hudson Bay

Hinterland

A region that lies far away from major population centers

Rio Grande

A river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico; forms part of the Mexico- United States border

Parliamentary government

A system in which legislative and executive functions are combined in a legislature called Parliament

Transcontinental Railroad

A train route connecting distant points across a continent, specifically used to refer to the line constructed across the U.S. finished in 1869

Free Enterprise

An economic system in which private individuals own most of the resources, technology and businesses, and can operate them for profit with little control from the government

Postindustrial Economy

And economic phase in which the manufacturing no longer plays a dominant role

Service Industry

Any kind of economic activity that produces a service rather than a product

Infrastructure

Basic support systems needed for the operation of economies and societies, including power, transportation, sanitation, and education

First Nations

Canada's Native American people; name for the organization that represents these tribes in their attempts to obtain more rights

Hudson Bay

Large bay in Canada

Gerrymandering

Manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class

Mississippi River

Me too river that runs north to south almost the length of the United States, from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, and is part of the longest river system on the continent

Appalachian Mountains

One of two major mountain chains in the eastern United States and Canada, extending over 1,600 miles from Newfoundland south to Alabama

Permafrost

Permanently frozen ground

Provinces

Political units into which Canada is divided

Suburbs

Political units or communities touching the borders of the central city or touching other suburbs that touch the city

Continental Divide

The line of the highest points in North America that marks the separation between rivers flowing eastward and westward

Great Plains

Vast grasslands of central North America that is largely treeless and ascends to 4,000 feet above sea level